Key vise



y 5, 1942- F. w. CORSON 2,282,165

KEY VISE Filed May 6, 1940 INVENTOR FLOYD w. CORSON BYMMW ATTORNEYS Patented May 5, 1942 UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE KEY VISE Floyd W. Corson, Cleveland, Ohio Application May 6, 1940, Serial No. 333,550

Claims.

This invention relates to key making machines and more particularly to improvements in a key vise and key supporting structure used in conjunction with key making machines.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel key holding vise arranged to hold various kinds of keys with a minimum amount of equipment, to hold those keys very securely, and to be quickly adjustable during the usual operations performed in a key making shop.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of a plurality of vises on a common support slidable to engage different types of cutting wheels all in combination with individual vises having a plurality of holding means so that the same equipment is available quickly for operating on different types of keys and for making notches of various character found on one key or a plurality of keys.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawing and specification and the essential features thereof will be set forth in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a key cutting machine with my improved key holding structure in cooperative relationship therewith; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are front and rear views respectively of one of the jaws of the key holding vise; Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views taken along similarly numbered lines of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a face view of another jaw of the key vise; while Fig. 8

is a central sectional view through the assembled key vise showing a key in clamped position.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a base It! carrying upstanding brackets l l in which is rotatably mounted a shaft [2 preferably on ball bearings or the like. This shaft carries various types of cutting wheels l3, l4 and 15 which are rotated by the belt driven pulley 16. A fixed support I! opposite Wheel I3 carries a guide l8 while a fixed support 19 opposite the wheels l4 and I5 carries one or more guides 20. Those familiar with this art will understand that the key to be duplicated is held in a vise in contact with guide IE or 2t vise jaws for very firmly holding many different types of keys using the same equipment. In Figs. 3 to 6, I have shown what I have hereafter called the base jaw 22 or one which engages the jaw support 2|. The inner face of this jaw as best seen in Figs. 3, 5 and 6 is square in form and has diflerently recessed portions along its various peripheral edges so that different keys may be held along different edges and as will hereafter appear the parts are arranged so that any one of these edges may be turned toward the guide H3 or for the master key or toward the cutting wheels l3, M and I5 for the key blank. The side A is recessed to receive a key of the Yale type by cutting down to a surface 23 parallel to the inner surface 24 of the jaw and cutting back to a shoulder 25 which is parallel to the edge 26 of the jaw. The shoulder 25, together with a shoulder 21, to be later described, provide between them a square corner 28 against which the shoulder or abutment 28 of a key 3!] may be positioned so as to properly place the key and its corresponding blank in a pair of my improved Vises. The flat side of the Yale key rests against the shoulder 25 and as best seen in Fig. 8 the depth of the cut to the surface 23 is arranged to accommodate a key of the usual thickness, while keeping the jaw faces parallel as will later appear.

The side opposite the recess A may be recessed as indicated at B in a similar manner, cutting away the peripheral edge of the jaw to the surface 3'l, making a recess of slightly less depth than the recess A and cut back to a line 32 7 parallel to the jaw edge 33, giving a recess of less dimension both ways than the recess A and peculiarly adapted to receive fiat keys while maintaining the jaws of the vise parallel. If the key is of less thickness than the depth of surface 3| below surface 24, the recess 54 permits the middle projection ll to clamp tightly on the key while recesses C and D permit the end projections 4'1 to engage the key.

Other surfaces may be provided on other edges of the jaws to accommodate keys of special character. For instance, the recess C best seen in Figs. 3 and 6 comprises a trou'gh34' bounded on its outer edge by rib 35 and provided with the arcuately cut-out portion 3% so that the entire recess C is peculiarly adapted to receive a bit key, the collar of which fits in the recess 36 and between two of the clamping projections 41.

The recessed portion D is cut away to the surface 31' with an upstanding rib 38 parallel to and set back slightly from the jaw edge' 39 and particularly adapted to form the type of key having a central groove and notches on .opposite edges of the key. The key in this case is placed in the vise with its central groove along the rib 38 to form the notches on one edge and then the key may be reversed end for end and the notches formed on the opposite side thereof- It will thus appear that I have provided a plurality of dififerent key holding peripheral edges with a jaw vise of regular polygon shape, and as will hereinafter appear I provide supporting means for the jaw so that it may be oriented to bring any desired side of the jaw into operative relationship with the key forming machine.

In the form here shown the back of jaw 22 is provided with a plurality of straight slots 49 extending radially outward from a central ape'r-.

ture 4| with the slots spaced at equal angular distances from each other corresponding to the number of sides of the jaw while the jaw support 2| is provided with splines 42-adapted to coact with the slots 4|) with practically no clearance between them. The splines 42 are arranged in the form of a cross so that the jaw 22 maybe turned to present any one of it'sfour sides in operativeposition by merely turning the slots 40 to engage in difierent splines.

Rigidlysupported in the member 2| is a stud or spindle 43 which extends through the central aperture 4| of jaw 22 and through a central aperture 44 of the clamping jaw 45 so that the parts may be assembled on the spindle as shown in Fig. 8 with a wing nut 46 threaded on stud 43 and tightly clamping the jaws against the key or the blank.

The clamping jaw 45 as best seen in Figs '7 and 8 is also square in shape and comprises key gripping portions 41 arranged along one edge thereof. Preferably the key gripping portions comprise a plurality of projections, three being shown in the present instance. These are preferably oi hardened steel with their gripping surfaces scored as indicated. Along the opposite and parallel edge of the square I arrange a pair of projecting pins 48 which engage in coacting recesses 49 in jaw 22, these recesses 49 forming abutments for the projections 48 and the recesses 49 having their bottoms lying in a common. plane. Obviously when the gripping portions 41 engage a key in the position of A of Fig 3, the projections 48 will enter into the two recesses 49 appearing at the left side of Fig. 3. In other words, whatever the position of the gripping portions 41, the projections 48 engage recesses 49 opposite the gripping edge and serve to properly register the jaws and to space them so that the outer faces of the jaws lie in substantially parallel planes and I am enabled to get the best gripping action on the keys by turning down the wing nuts 46. The arrangement of the recess A is such that with a key of the Yale type in the recess and clamped between the jaws as shown in Fig. 8, the pins or projections 48 are of such a length as to maintain the jaws in substantially parallel relationship. In a similar manner the recess B with a fiat key in place and the gripping portions 4'! bearing against it will coact with the pins 48 in maintaining the jaws parallel under that state of conditions. -The recesses C and D are similarly arranged so that whatever type of key is clampedjin the jaws they are always maintained parallel by the pins 48.

As best seen in Fig. 8, a helical spring 50 surrounds the stud 43 and is arranged between the inner faces of the jaws 22 and 45. This serves to yieldingly press the slots 49 of the jaw 22 into engagement with the splines 42 and also serves to disengage the jaws when the wing nut is backed off.

Obviously the wing nut may be loosened and jaw 22 may be lifted out of engagement with the splines 42 and turned to present any one of its edges upward or toward the cutting wheel. A key is then quickly placed in position in the selected recess and jaw 45 clamped down upon it so that all of the parts are quickly secured 0nd jaw having an edge opposite its said one edge use may be made of the four sides of the vise to make the various cuts required on the different types of cutting wheels. To this end the support 2| is slidably mounted upon a shaft 5| which extends parallel to the shaft I2. The lower end of the support 2| comprises a tubular hollow barrel 52 preferably filled with oil and its ends closed with felt washers and plain bearings 53 so that the vise support will slide easily along the shaft 5| clearing away metal chips before it.

It will be noted that the vise support 2| is generally of V-shape with its apex slidably mounted on the shaft 5|. A pair of my vnovel jaws is mounted on each of the branches of the support 2| so that the operator may have a clear view of the cutting action taking place on the blank at the upperk vise as shown in Fig. 2, while he may also closely view the action of the guide in the notches of the key in the lower of the two vises shown in Fig. 2.

I have thus disclosed key supporting equipment adapted to make the maximum number of key forms with the minimum number of changes of parts or manipulation of equipment by the operator. I V

What I claim is:

1. A key vise comprising a pair of square jaws, each generally planate, the first of said jaws having portions of its face toward the second jaw along a plurality of its side edges recessed by difierent amounts respectively to accommodate keys of different thickness, the second of said jaws having a key gripping portion along one of its edges only and facing said first jaw, said secand provided with projections extending toward said first jaw, and abutments on said first jaw lying in a common plane and in position to receive said projections'when said jaws are placed with any one of said recessed edges facing said gripping portion, .and means for clamping said jaws together, whereby said jaws are substantially parallel when keys of different: thickness are clamped at various times against one or the other of said plurality of edges.

2. A key vise comprising a pair of jaws each generally planate and of regular polygon shape, the first of said jaws having portions of its face toward the second jaw along a plurality of its side edges recessed by difierent amounts respectively to accommodate keys of different thickness, the

, second of said jaws having a key gripping por- 3. In a key vise having a base jaw member including a plurality of key-holding edge portions equally spaced angularly about the central portion thereof, said vise also having a clamping jaw including a key-gripping edge portion, said jaw and jaw member being provided with central apertures, a supporting spindle passing through said apertures, a support member for coacting with said base jaw member, a plurality of straight slots in one of said members located radially with respect to said spindle and equiangularly spaced about it, and splines on the other of said members engaging in said slots with practically no clearance, whereby said base jaw member may have different edge portions moved to a predetermined position when said splines and slots are rotated relative to each other.

4. The combination of claim 4 including a helical spring surrounding said spindle and. engaged between said base jaw member and said clamping jaw, and a nut on the end of said spindle bearing against the outer face of said clamping jaw, whereby said spring holds said splines and slots in yieldin engagement and said spring disengages said jaw from clamping position when said nut is backed oif.

5. In combination, a pair of jaws each generally planate and square, the first of said jaws having portions of its inner face toward the second jaw along a plurality of its side edges cut away to different depths parallel to the general plane of said jaw and extending inwardly to a line parallel to the adjacent side edge of the square providing a raised central portion of the jaw and a square corner at one end of said cut away portion for abutment of a key shoulder, the second of said jaws having along one edge only thereof a plurality of key gripping projections extending toward said first jaw and opposite a cut away portion thereof, said second jaw having spacing projections along the edge thereof parallel to said one edge, said projections extending toward said first jaw, abutments on said first jaw lying in a common plane, said abutments being along edge portions of said first jaw opposite said cut away portions and adapted to coact with said spacing projections, the outer face of said first jaw being flat, a support member having a fiat face engaging said outer face, said support member having an upstanding rigid spindle, there being apertures centrally of said jaws through which said spindle extends, coacting slots and splines on said last named engaging faces located radially with respect to said spindle and equiangularly spaced about it, a helical spring surrounding said spindle and engagedbetween said jaws, and a nut on the end of said spindle bearing against the outer face of said second jaw.

FLOYD W. coRsoN.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. I 7 Patent No. 2,282,165. v v m 19m; FLOYD w. coason. It is hereby certified that ex-forappears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent reqfi iring eoi'reetien as fo'l1ows: Page 2, 1 seeendeolumn, line 5l,'fof "upperk" read "upperpage 5, first celumn, line. 19', for theclaim reference nfimeral FL" read +5 and that the said Letters Patent should be'read with this correction therein that "the same may conform to the recorder the case in the Patent Office. Signed and sealed this 25rd day f we, AQD. 19L 2.

Henr y Van Arsdale; (Seal) Acting Coxmnissioner of Patente. 

